Take your sunglasses off and read and heed these warnings!
Be aware that too vigorous brushing under keys may loosen or knock loose
key corks. Key corks are thin cushions used to help prevent noise as
keys are opened or closed. Some key corks are important for making the
horn play properly, but most aren't critical.
Too vigorous brushing under keys may also unhook needle springs.
Needle springs are those little wires that connect the posts and the keys.
They are used to either lift the key after you release it or to hold a key
shut. Springs ARE critical to the horn playing properly. If you
see a spring that is not hooked, just push it back until it hooks back onto
the little hook on the key.
Just because it is a screw doesn't mean it has to be
tightened!!! Some of them are adjustments and not fasteners. Leave
the screw turning to someone who knows what they are doing, which is usually
NOT you. :)
Use a neck strap that has a positive lock snap swivel on it. You
don't want to stand up and find that your neck strap has become unhooked from
the horn. That is when the horn hits the floor and your band director
and parents hit the ceiling!
Tiny drops of oil are what you want when oiling your mechanisms. Too
much oil combines with the dust and dirt on your horn to make mud.
Oiling is critical to prevent rust and corrosion on the fasteners that hold
the keys on.
Don't drape your arm over the neck to look cool when you aren't playing.
It will flex the neck a little and, over time, will bend it. Then the
octave key won't close. Then you'll still look cool, but sound very
uncool.
Don't snatch your horn out of the case by the bell.
Over time this will pull the bell out of alignment causing the bell keys not
to close properly.
Please do not use super glue on your horn in any way, shape, form, or
fashion. To do so will cause extra time and expense with repairs and
will not be corrected under our maintenance agreement.